drought
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Earth
Treering records reveal changes in drought based on climates in Europe and Asia
It is possible that rising global temperatures contribute to drought conditions in the 21st century, including the 2017 drought at Lago de la Ducesa, Italy, depicted here. Credits: Pamela Trisolino, EGU, CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 Determining the extent to which drought conditions change worldwide is due to natural aquatic fluctuations, and the extent to which climate change is caused is a…
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Biology
El Niño drought reveals survival advantage of monkeys with strong stress response
Two white-faced capuchin monkeys were spotted holding hands in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Credit: Susan Perry Costa Rican capuchin monkeys that experienced a stronger physiological response to mild drought are better suited to survive even extreme drought, researchers found in a new UCLA-led study. Most research on wildlife and humans focuses on the damage, or “wear and tear,” that stress responses…
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Earth
Long-term analysis reveals that groundwater is threatened by drought and heavy rains
Cracks in the soil due to dryness. Credit: R. Lehmann, University of Jena Extreme weather events allow rainwater to bypass natural purification processes in the soil, putting groundwater quality and stability at risk. This was demonstrated in long-term groundwater analysis using a new analytical method, as described in a recent study in the journal Nature Communications. With billions of people…
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Environment
World fails to reach drought agreement in Saudi-sponsored talks
COP16 delegates walk past a giant poster of Saudi Arabian ruins at the start of the UNCCD talks. Participants said Saturday that negotiators at Saudi-hosted United Nations talks were unable to reach an agreement on how to respond to the drought, falling short of an expected binding drought protocol. . The 12-day Conference of the Parties to the United Nations…
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Earth
Climate change will intensify drought in central and southern Europe in 2022, study finds
Soil moisture deviation (in standard deviation units) for the summer of 2022 compared to a normal summer. The pink dots indicate where 2022 was the driest summer since 1960. Credit: UFZ The drought, which lasted until the summer of 2022, was particularly severe, causing soils to become significantly drier in many parts of Europe. Public debate about the causes has…
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Environment
Heavy rains hit Brazil after years of drought, killing 8 people
Brazil has experienced its worst drought in recent months since records began, which experts say is linked to climate change. At least eight people have been killed in Brazil due to heavy rains, authorities said Saturday, as storms hit parts of the country following a severe drought that caused a record wave of wildfires. Since Friday, central and southeastern Brazil…
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Biology
Researchers develop device to measure drought effects on plants
A device that measures the effects of drought on plants. Credit: Kaunas University of Technology Drought is becoming a serious challenge year after year, affecting up to 55 million people worldwide and posing a major threat to flora and fauna. Drought stress causes biochemical and physiological changes in plants, reducing nutrient levels and damaging ecosystems, thereby impacting human health and…
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Environment
Brazilian farmers worried about fires and drought
An aerial view of forest fires in Brasilia National Park, Brazil, taken on September 15, 2024. As the twin disasters of fire and drought hit Brazil’s agriculture sector hard, sugarcane farmer Marcos Meloni still can’t forget battling a blaze on his land last month. “The rear-view mirrors on the water trucks shrank because of the heat,” recalled a farmer in…
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